Wedding

Wedding gifts are a wonderful way for you to show your appreciation and caring for the newly wed couple. However it is hard to feel passionate about another blender or toaster. Buy the latest kitchen gadget or home d้cor item might be easy but it is not very unique and says that you hardly thought of the couple. However if you purchase a unique wedding gift that stands out from the others the couple will always remember the thoughtful gift.

Below are some easy ideas that you can get for unique wedding gifts.

Unique Wedding Gifts for the Couple

All of these gifts can be shared by both the bride and groom and most of them create very nice memories of the wedding day. These unique wedding gifts are something that will hopefully sustain them through some of the rockier times later in their marriage.

Photo Quilts - These have become very popular gift items and can be found almost anywhere online and also locally if you do a little searching. These items are a lot of fun as you can imagine the newly wed couple curled up together on the couch under a blanket with their own pictures on it. What a great way to truly celebrate the couple. You simply need anywhere between 1 to 45 good quality photos that can either be printed or in digital format. You can send these in to the company and in just a few days you will get back a beautiful quilt. One fun way to do this is take pictures of botht he bride and groom and their respective families. Then use the pictures to show the uniting of two families.

Another fun idea that a photo quilt can be used for is as a guest book. Yes, that’s right a guest book. Simple hang the quilt where guests will be entering before the ceremony and provide some nice sharpie permanent markers. Have everyone leave a unique and personalized message.

Personalize Photo Pillow - Can’t you just see it now a wonderful photo pillow on the newly wed couples bed? You send in your favorite picture of the bride and groom and it gets turned into a unique custom wedding gift pillow. How is that for personalized!

Family Portrait Platters- you have probably all seen those cartoonists that will do caricatures of people at a local street fair or some other big gathering. Well a family photo platter takes this idea and makes it into a very unique wedding gift. You can pick the skin color, hair color and basic body types to represent each person in the family. These make wonderfully unique gifts that everyone is sure to enjoy.

Custom Wedding Cake Toppers - Want to go all out and give a unique wedding gift. Try a custom wedding cake topper. You send in pictures of the couple including images of their clothes and or activities that they like to do and a sculptor will make a custom wedding cake topper based on your input. Just make sure you work this out with the wedding planner and bride before spending the money. These are typically done in polymer clay and will last forever.

These are just a few of the many of great ideas for unique wedding gifts. It is very popular and thoughtful to give something that has been personalized and this is something to consider as you search for your unique gift. Adding the personalization shows that you have taken the time to think about the newly weds and their likes and dislikes and not just gotten a stock out of the store mass produced gift.

Whatever unique wedding gift you choose an important key it to plan ahead. You do not want to try and do any of the above ideas the day before the wedding. To make a gift personalized can take some time and you will want to leave two or more weeks to get the gift done. So plan ahead, be creative and have fun with your wedding gift and you are sure to end up with something they will remember and cherish forever. Much better then just another toaster that will get returned.

Chris Ryerson is the webmaster of Plan Best Wedding. A great resource for: Wedding planning, free articles and Unique Wedding Gifts

I say always register for gifts! You see, people tend to spend more on wedding gifts than any other occasion! For example, when I got married, my husband’s grandparents gave us $1000 and we never get gifts from them, not even for Christmas!

Think about it, there are all sorts of things that you will need and want for your new home. (Or even your old home) Register for them all, everything from bath towels to good china and anything in between, even the non-traditional stuff, don‘t be scared.

Give your registry diversity so that there will be plenty of items with varied prices to choose from so no one feels left out. But again, don’t be afraid to add some of the higher priced items too. Even if you don’t have the generous grandparents I did, you never know if several of your family members might decide to go in together to get you something really nice.

It helps to register with national chain stores that are common in most cities and states, and/or those that have websites to shop online. Like I said before, you may still get a toaster or two whether you register for it or not, but you won’t get anything good if you don’t ask for it!

Got everything you need? Here is an idea; set up a gift registry with your photographer! The easiest way to do this is to have cards made that have the photographers contact info on them as well as your name too. Many photographers would give you these cards for free. Your friends and family could call in or send in monetary gifts that would build up a credit for you with the photographer.

Another option, you could have your guests donate to your favorite charity on your behalf instead of the traditional wedding gifts!

Or, have a “Honeymoon Registry” and have people help contribute to that as a gift. Perhaps have a little notice in the shower invitation that reads “In lieu of traditional wedding gifts, the bride and groom are taking monetary contributions to the honeymoon”. Sometimes your travel agent can help set this up for you.

“No, really we just want cash!” I hear ya this is OK too, but be careful not to be rude. You can create a cash registry by setting up a PayPal account, best of all it is free!

Etiquette says not to include information about the Registry in the actual wedding invitation, many see this as rude. Like the gift is more important than having “the honor of their presence” at your wedding. It is perfectly acceptable to put your registry cards in with the shower invitations, as gifts are expected there, that is the purpose of a shower. Some people still do mention the Registry in the wedding invitation, if you choose to do so, put in a separate card, but do not put it in the actual wording of the invitation!

The traditional way to spread the word about the Registry is through the shower invitations and through friends and family. Another great way is to have a personal wedding website. This lets you tactfully let people know where you are registered and allows them to easily view the Registry online with the links provided. All while sharing all sorts of important details and fun stuff about the wedding. And since it is online, it is available to friends and family everywhere, anytime of the day!

“Having a background in many aspects of the wedding industry I have seen a lot of weddings and worked with a lot of vendors. I have seen mistakes some brides make in trying to save a few dollars. I have seen a few vendors take advantage of unsuspecting and uneducated brides. I have seen some of the good the bad and the ugly of weddings”

Check out our e-book “The Definitive Wedding Planning Guide” for more tips and ideas for planning your wedding. http://www.southsidebride.com/ebook.htm

When you’re planning a wedding, you don’t want to forget the gift table. Not only will this be covered with your presents and money gifts, but it will also be out in the open. And although you don’t want to think that anything could happen, you might want to put a few precautions in place.

Better to be safe

The gift table is best kept safe by being out in the open, where everyone can see it. You might want the deejay next to it, or at least nearby, because people will be going up that way all evening.

However, you also want to keep the gift table somewhere where your guests can find it to deposit their gifts or cards. A nice slit top box works well for cards (maybe you could put a locked tin inside so that no one can peek except you) and a card table with a table cloth is fine for the wrapped gifts.

You may also want to have the guest registry next to the gift table so that you have an idea of how many presents should be there when you finally get to opening them. If there seems to be a discrepancy, then you will be able to find out if something was lost or stolen.

What to do with the gifts at the end of the night

You will need to have a plan or someone in place to take care of the gifts once the reception is over. You may want to enlist one of the members of your bridal party to load them into their car and drive them to the hotel, or perhaps, a parent can take them in order to have a brunch the next morning—where you open the gifts for everyone.

Either way, you will want to store them somewhere safe. It’s generally not a good idea to leave them in a car overnight. First of all, a car is easily broken into and two, you don’t know if the gifts are sensitive to temperature changes. You don’t want to ruin anything.

The gift table is just another detail that you want to be aware of. Most of the time, there are no problems with people upsetting the gifts or raiding the envelopes, but if it makes you feel better to have a back up plan in place, go right ahead.

Amy Spade is an expert on planning weddings, and she has written an amazing totally free minicourse on how to make sure that you have the day of your dreams, and avoid wedding day disaster!

Get the free course “Your Special Day from Start to Finish” now at at http://www.weddingdata.com

No matter if the wedding is grand or simple, the event is almost always marked with a wedding gift for the special couple. In times past, the gift was usually a household item. Embarking on their new life together meant buying their first house and living as a family. Linen, china and small kitchen appliances were given to help the couple set up their new house.

Today we find many couples living together before they have a wedding. At the time of their wedding their house is already set up. Which leads to the question, “What do we give the special couple to celebrate their vows to each other?”

For some, gifts have shifted from household items to personal items. Spa packages and pampering products are seen being given to the bride and sports tickets and sports equipment to the groom. Sometimes a special event package is added on to the honeymoon or plane tickets are upgraded to first class. Most resorts and cruise lines have fruit, flower and gourmet gift baskets that can be purchased and placed in the newlywed’s room for you.

For far away friends and family the gift search can be even more of a challenge. Gift cards although less than personal are, as they say, always the right size. Hiring a maid for the new couple to clean for a few months is a nice idea. Gift baskets filled with tasty delicacies the couple wouldn’t normally treat themselves to can be a delicious surprise. There is a wide variety of gift baskets to choose from containing everything from caviar and sparkling cider to brownies and muffins. A breakfast basket containing everything necessary for a wonderful gourmet breakfast might be just the unique gift you’re looking for.

If you still want to stick with the more traditional gifts like gifts for their home, there’s still some ideas out there. A personalized quilt is a unique idea and will be appreciated for many years to come. You could get the happy couple an upgraded appliance or a set of holiday dinnerware. A plaque for outside their home with their house number or name is a nice touch they may not have. A security system is a great idea for everyone’s home and a gift they will remember each time they close the door or turn off the light. A set of the finest sheets is something they may not treat themselves to but would definitely enjoy.

Although the social circumstances of marriages may have changed, our desire to celebrate the giving of vows has not. Adjusting our gift ideas can be challenging. Be careful to consider your newlyweds and what might mean the most to them when choosing their gift. Give from the heart and you can’t go wrong.

Sharon Lauer is the marketing director for www.simplythebestbaskets.com.

In case you’ve been living on another planet for the past several months, you may not have heard that Star Jones was getting married. For the rest of us here on planet earth we couldn’t escape this joyous news unless we swore off pop culture icons like Entertainment Tonight and People magazine.

Star Jones, current co-host of TV’s chat fest The View with Barbara Walters, recently married Wall Street banker Al Reynolds in an elaborate, pull-out-all-the-stops wedding extravaganza fit for a queen - or maybe a successful diva.

That’s right. Star Jones is a world-class diva. Okay, anyone familiar with Star knows her penchant for pampering herself with the finer things in life. So, it shouldn’t be any big surprise that she went all out to have the wedding she’d been dreaming about since she was eight years old.

Star’s fairytale wedding included such niceties as a wedding gown with a 27-foot veil topped with a crystal tiara, a 60-member Broadway choir, more attendants than Princess Di had at her wedding, and a custom made 7-carat princess cut diamond wedding ring.

Of course, as soon as the juicy wedding details surfaced in the media, the Star Jones haters came out of the woodworks - - often expressing their mean-spirited views of Star, Al, and their special day with vicious glee.

All right. Maybe Star went just a teeny weenie bit over the top. But so what? In the end, it’s just one couple’s happy wedding day. Theirs just happened to have a lot more bling bling than most folks.

Admit it. Most of us would have loved to have sneaked a peak into the star-studded event, if only to gawk at celebrity guests like: Angela Bassett, Kim Cattral, Chris Rock, Hillary Clinton, Vivica A. Fox, Barbara Walters, Lisa Ling, Kelly Ripa, Al Roker, Blair Underwood, and Donald Trump.

Whew! Now that’s a lot of star powered bling right there.

When it comes right down to it, one person’s overblown extravaganza is another person’s Cinderella fairytale come true. It’s a matter of personal style and taste. I say, do whatever makes you happy. That’s all that counts in the end.

About The Author

Copyright 2004

Donna Monday
One special moment. One special ring.
http://www.1-love-rings.com

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One of the most memorable days in our lives is when two people commit their love to one another through marriage. Wedding gifts are traditionally offered to the newlyweds as tokens of affection and love as well as a means to provide the new couple with starter home supplies.

In days of old, couples did not live together until they were married. After being wed, the two typically would start building their lives together, including moving into their own home and starting their own family. Wedding gifts allowed friends and family of the pair to provide the newlyweds with some much needed home supplies and gifts of good luck and fortune that hopefully the couple would carry with them for many years. In colonial times, traditional wedding gifts might include home made quilts, food and perhaps even furniture for the new home.

In contemporary times, more and more couples are marrying after having lived together for many years. While many wedding gifts still have a characteristic theme of supplying the new couple with home goods, a majority of couples already have much of the things they would need to supply a new home. Thus, wedding gifts have taken on a sentimental twist. Many wedding gifts today embody creative themes that take into consideration the personality and lifestyle of the couple being wed. Personalized wedding gifts are a popular selection among many guests. Some wedding gifts incorporate photos of the husband and wife in their single days.

Many wedding gifts are also created to offer luck to the bride and groom. In the past, many brides were considered vulnerable to evil wishes, thus customs and traditions of old were aimed at providing protection to the bride. Many gifts are crafted to bring luck and prosperity and to ward off evil.

Some of the most popular of wedding gifts include:

-untraditional items such as books and collectibles from exotic lands
-gift certificates
-house cleaning offers

Yet another unique idea is providing a gift that correlates with the month the wedding occurs in. There are several superstitions regarding the time of year a couple weds. For example, folklore suggests that when a couple marries in September, their love and life will be filled with riches. A great wedding gift to bring added luck to a September ceremony might include a token treasure chest or similar paraphernalia. Tradition also holds true that December brings true love that will last. Perhaps a gift engraved with “forever” will make help communicate this sentiment. Rest assured, if your wedding gift comes from the heart, it will be appreciated and held in high regard.

Adriana Copaceanu provides people with creative gift ideas that don’t blow the bank. You can find Wedding Shower Favors and other great ideas for your Bridal Shower at her site. Want regular reminders on gift-giving? Sign up for Gift News her free monthly newsletter.

Some couples look forward to the bridal registry process and some do not. A bridal registry is a good idea for almost any couple and you can have fun completing this wedding task.

When the couple does not want to spend hours at stores deciding on the items for the bridal registry they can shorten the process by beginning online. Check out the wedding sites for suggestions pertaining to the bridal registry.

You may want to start a notebook that features your color choices and decorating styles for each room. This will eliminate some of the bridal registry frustrations. When you have the color palette right in front of you it will be much easier to make bridal registry choices. You might also want to write other things in your bridal registry notebook such as items needed and the quantity of items hoped for. All these things will save you time when you go to begin the bridal registry process.

It is a good idea to register at more then one store or online site. This gives people the flexibility of choosing from more than one place. You also should consider that there may be stores that are not available in some areas of the country.

Remember that there is almost no limit to gifts available in a bridal registry. It your groom is hesitating about beginning the bridal registry process remind him that many stores have electronic, game, video and sports departments. This should help ease his bridal registry avoidance tactics.

Try to include bridal registry gifts in all price ranges. When all your gifts are very expensive you may find wedding gifts that are not from the bridal registry. When this happens you could end up with gifts that do not fit your color scheme or d้cor.

A bridal registry is a good idea because you are able to choose exactly the gifts you wish to have. A bridal registry should eliminate duplicate gifts, too.

Begin your bridal registry early. This will allow people attending showers and parties to choose gifts from the list.

Enjoy the bridal registry process and choose the dishes, silver, crystal and other home furnishing that you really love.

Craig Thornburrow is an Author and Business Owner. Find all you need to know about Weddings at http://www.theworldsbestwedding.com

Whether you’re planning your big day a year in advance or a few months in advance, or maybe just looking for tips on eloping, you’re going to need somebody on your side to help you organize and plan - somebody who isn’t your mother or your mother-in-law-to-be or any number of well meaning aunts, each with her own ideas of what your wedding should look like. There are a number of sites you can turn to that are not only unbiased but really know what they’re talking about, but two stand out above the rest. They have all the resources you’ll need to make your big day exactly what you want it to be. It’s your own personal online wedding planner.

WeddingSolutions.com - www.weddingsolutions.com

This should be one of your first stops. At WeddingSolutions.com, you can build your own ‘wedding website’ free of charge, allowing you to keep track of all the different ideas and companies you are considering for your wedding day. Registration is free of charge and offers you the chance to build your own online scrapbook and wedding journal and discuss your questions, concerns, and finds on the forums as you go through the process of putting together the details for your wedding.

Some of the different categories include:

• Fashion and Beauty - Drop down menus of designers who make bridal gowns, bridesmaid’s dresses, flower girls dresses, and dresses for mothers of the bride and groom as well as categories divided according to specifics (i.e. veils, shoes, trains, necklines, sleeves, and dress styles). You’ll also find sections on makeup, hair styles, nail and skin care, and groom’s wear.
• Vendors - For your ceremony space, reception space, transportation, videographer, photographer, wedding cake, music, flowers, and caterers you can find local vendors ready to serve you here.
• Reception - The answer to every question you didn’t know you had can be found here. What is the standard gratuity for your photographer? Which favors are best? What questions should you ask different vendors? Find out here.
• Honeymoon - International destinations or domestic, honeymoons separate from the wedding or combination wedding/honeymoon vacations - take your pick from hundreds of choices and get tips on how to plan it here.
• Shopping - Or skip the search and buy your favors, bridesmaid’s gifts, decorations, accessories, invitations and jewelry all right here!

The Knot - www.theknot.com

Just as comprehensive in the resources it offers as WeddingSolutions.com, The Knot goes a step further and provides enough articles to fill a book on everything you need to know to plan the perfect wedding, reception, and honeymoon. The articles are divided into categories that include:

• Wedding Planning - Topics include budgeting, styles, sticky subjects, favors, registering for gifts, your guests, customs and etiquettes, and more ideas than you can shake a stick at.
• Getting Engaged - Choosing the ring to popping the question to sharing your news, this section handles the pre-wedding period.
• Real Weddings - Check out pictures and stories from different couples according to the style of their wedding, the season, colors, or location and see if it looks like something you would choose.
• Wedding Fashion - How to find your gown, choose accessories and jewelry, groom style and bridal party fashion are all discussed here.
• Bridal Beauty - Find beauty secrets, special hairstyles, and how-tos on getting in shape for the big day and how to give yourself some pre-wedding pampering here.
• Grooms - This section has everything to do with the guys: tuxes, groomsmen, bachelor parties, and groom basics.
• The Wedding Party - This isn’t for the bride as much as her bridesmaids and maid of honor and mothers. Find how-tos on bachelorette parties and planning the wedding shower.
• Honeymoons - From how to plan your honeymoon down to the nitty gritty of choosing specific destinations, there is a ton of great travel information here.

The Knot also has a number of tools to help you with the details like a wedding checklist, a budgeting calculator, and helpful tools to help you take care of your guests. And check out everything up close and in detail before you buy with the photo galleries:

• Rings
• Invitations
• Table Settings
• Wedding Cakes
• Honeymoons
• Wedding Dresses
• Wedding Hairstyles
• Bridal Accessories
• Bridesmaids, et al
• Tuxedos

Between the articles with the photo galleries, you won’t need to subscribe to the bridal magazines or buy any of the books available on the market to help you plan your wedding. Save time and money and find everything you need to plan your wedding day at these two sites.

Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for ApolloHosting.com. She brings years of experience as a small business consultant to helping prospective clients understand the ways in which a website may benefit them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting, ecommerce hosting, vps hosting, and web design services to a wide range of customers. Established in 1999, Apollo prides itself on the highest levels of customer support.

Considerations for a gift list - what should you be focussing on?

With society changing so are the ages of people getting married, this means that there are now many stages when you may or may not need things. Our quick guide should help you work out which type of gift list bridge or groom you are and some pointers on where to focus your list…

1) Require the basics - just starting out in every-way

When it comes to a dinner service or cutlery make sure you get enough either 6 or 8 place setting - remember there is nothing worse than getting a set and unable to add to it!

2) Want to upgrade our basics to worthwhile collection - Common amongst couples who have not lived together and have combined possessions

Some items in the outdoor lifestyle area may apply here, perhaps planters, lanterns, chrome garden heaters, decking set & barbecues.

3) The couple who have everything - Common around couples in their mid to late 30’s who have been living together for a while

Gift experience vouchers are perfect, these are things you would never buy for yourself such as a champagne balloon flight, driving a fast car or scuba diving lessons?

4) Starting Over - The Gift list for those who have been married before

Although you may not want to Guests will still want to buy you a gift, so if you want to avoid a range of uncoordinated presents you should think about a gift list.

Top 5 tips

1. About a third of your list should be under ฃ25, with large sets broken up so you can allow a few people to purchase the items

2. Quality is better than quantity - focus on a few areas and then you are sure to get everything you ideally want

3. Shop around, there are a range of gift lists amke sure you work with a company who have an online channel it makes it much simpler to administer

4. Sets are great but try and choose ones which are not limited editions so you can add to your collection

5. Dont’ get greedy, your guests will see it a mile off!

Giftlist checklist and Browser

Pots & Pans

Cutlery -Remember you will need at least a 24 piece set which will cater for 6, if you have a large wedding party try and push for a set for 8 people. You can set your gift list up to separate the set and therefore the cost could be split amongst a few guests!

Crockery - see our pointer above the same rule applies

Kitchen Electrics - If you dont have a toaster or a kettle dont be afraid to put them on your gift list but only put them down once! Worth while considering other equipment like juicers, blenders & mixers.

Glassware - remember tumblers, tall highball and champagne flutes should be on the list get a high quality glass and perhaps a simple design so you can add to your collection without it standing out. at least 6 of each is suggested.

Kitchen Knives - A good set of knives and a knive sharpener are worth their weight in gold every good kitchen should have them!

Bed Linen - remember you need t least 2 for the master bedroom and hen 1 set for each other bedroom in the house

Pillows & Duvets - If you are not planning to use them for a while but still want them how about adding duvet storage covers in aswell?

Bathroom essentials - bath towels, guest towels, accessories these are some perfect gifts for smaller items to cater to all your guests

General lifestyle - scatter cusions, rugs, mirrors, vases, picture frames & ornaments. Some people go for objects that will remind them of their wedding day.

Garden - Plants, planters, lighting, lanterns, table, chairs, outdoor crockery, heaters, sun shades, outdoor heathers and lets not forget a barbecue

Gift Experience or Travel Vouchers

Electronics - DVD players, playstations and games consoles, TV’s and Sky Packages are now common items on a list

About The Author
Ms Porter plans weddings for the rich and famous in London, England, and writes exclusively for www.planthatwedding.com.

Nothing helps a couple remember their special day like a personalized wedding gift. Such a gift can bring back all the sentiment of their ceremony and celebration by displaying their names, initials or wedding date on a precious item.

Personalized gifts are widely available, though most stores will add a small charge for this service. It is important to note that a personalized gift will usually require additional processing time, which may delay delivery. Therefore, when ordering a personalized item, it is important to purchase the gift well in advance of the wedding date.

Monogrammed Gifts

Monogrammed gifts are both practical and romantic. From towels and glassware to stationary, monogrammed wedding gifts are a personal treasure.

Personalized Photo Options

Newlyweds are left with literally hundreds of photos documenting their wedding day and honeymoon. Engraved frames and photo albums give the couple beautiful storage and display options. These wedding gifts are usually personalized with the couple’s wedding date.

Autographed Gifts

Document the well-wishes of family and friends with an autographed gift. Wedding guests can sign a large matte of a photo frame, a specially made platter, or a fabric wall hanging.

Home D้cor Items

Many home items can be personalized with beautiful results. Engraved photo coasters can display wedding memories while protecting new furniture. Embroidered throws accent the married couple’s home with color and warmth. Seasonal gifts such as personalized ornaments and tree skirts can add to the new couple’s holiday decorations. Embroidered table linens allow the newly married couple to entertain with pride.

Spiritual Items

For the devout couple, a personalized Bible would hold special significance — if given in advance of the wedding, it could even be used as part of the ceremony. An engraved wall cross for display in the home is another option for the spiritual pair.

A Personalized Future Toast

Wedding guests can order bottles of wine or champagne with personalized labels for the happy couple. Engraved wine glasses or bottle stoppers would nicely compliment the wedding gift. The married couple can open the bottles to toast on their honeymoon, or save them for a milestone anniversary.

Amy Lee Johnson regularly contributes to Wedding-Vows-4u.com a site dedicated to helping you with information about everything wedding related. We feature article directories on many topics such as Wedding Vows and Wedding Gowns to help you get the information you need – check them out!